After taking down the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves in back-to-back games, the Los Angeles Lakers are filled to the brim with confidence. So much so that nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis says the Lakers “like [their] chances against anybody” in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Anthony Davis Delivers Stern Warning to Playoff Opponents
“I think we’re hitting our stride right now,” Davis says, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“We’re just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it’s tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series. … We like our chances against anybody at that point.”
Anthony Davis Having Career Season
Davis has every right to be as confident as he is.
Having perhaps the best season of his career, the superstar center averages 24.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.2 steals per game on 55.5 percent shooting from the field. He’s also played in all but four games. For context, this is just the second time in six seasons that he’s played in at least 60 games.
Dominant at both ends of the floor, Davis is playing without his characteristic inconsistency. Truly, he looks every bit like the player who was in line to be the face of the league. To that point, it’s unsurprising that he recently made history.
In the Lakers’ victory against the Timberwolves, Davis racked up 27 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and a career-high seven steals. He’s the first NBA player to ever tally at least 25 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and three steals in a single game.
First in NBA history 🫡 pic.twitter.com/JV7XwOfhgO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 11, 2024
The Lakers will need more than Davis of course. The head of the snake in L.A. is LeBron James, and they’ll go as far as he goes. To that point, James is having a career year as well.
Averaging 25.3 points, 8.0 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, James is shooting a career-high 40.7 percent from 3.
New Year’s Resolution
The Lakers have been one of the league’s strongest teams since the start of the New Year. 19-13 since Jan. 1, the Lakers have the eighth-best record in that time.
Among the teams that have won at least half of their games in 2024, L.A. has the highest field goal percentage (51.2), second-highest scoring average (120.5 points per game), the third-highest assist average (29.7 assists per game), and tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth-highest 3-point percentage (39.5).
Over the past month-plus, L.A. has been even better. Since Feb. 1, the Lakers are 12-5, tied with the Orlando Magic for the fifth-best record in the NBA.
